Malaysian Student Discovers How to Kill Antibiotic-Resistant SuperBugs

At the forefront of the global war against this deadly threat is a group of scientists in Australia who have recently made a major breakthrough in effectively putting a stop to it, reported South China Morning Post. The team is on the cusp of developing a chain of polymer molecules that has the ability to eliminate antibiotic-resistant bacteria while protecting healthy cells from potential damage.

The group’s main heroine is Malaysian-Chinese Shu Lam, a 25-year-old PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne who developed the star-shaped polymer chain while working on her thesis research in antimicrobials and superbugs.

Polymers are chemical compounds  made of smaller molecules that can be used to physically attack superbugs. Its non-chemical approach preserves the health of the cells nearby. Lam explained that her polymers slice through the bacteria’s membrane to trigger the cell to self-destruct.

Macromolecular chemistry and engineering professor Greg Qiao, who is also Lam’s PhD supervisor and leader of the Polymer Science Group, pointed out how polymers can withstand bacterial mutations:

Lams discovery, which could possibly be among the most significant breakthroughs of this generation, was recently published in the journal of Nature Microbiology.

The team admits that there is still more work to be done as they seek to implement the best possible formula and structure to use for the polymers. They also intend to minimize its dosage and to conduct further tests on its toxicity to ensure the compound is ready for human use.